The Selfishness of the Unfriendly
He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment. A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions. With a wicked man comes contempt as well, and shame is accompanied by disgrace. The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice. A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. A gossip’s words are like choice morsels; they sink into the inmost being. Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; it is like a high wall in his imagination. Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.
He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him. The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit? The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.
A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men. The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him. Casting the lot ends quarrels and separates strong opponents. An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle.
From the fruit of his mouth a man’s belly is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly. A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.”
“He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment. A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions.” This chapter of Proverbs has a lot of great advice about being careful with your thoughts and your words. There’s a popular saying, “My mind’s made up; don’t confuse me with the facts.” Some people don’t simply jump to conclusions but they leap to them at the speed of light. The problem is that this way leads to disaster.
“Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice. A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. A gossip’s words are like choice morsels; they sink into the inmost being. Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.” Why are fools and gossips lumped together here? Gossips don’t care if their information is correct; they only care if their rumors are full of juicy tidbits, true or otherwise. Nothing is quite so humiliating as starting a vivid rumor, only to be confronted with truth that bears no resemblance to your statements.
“Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.” Talking about jumping to conclusions, failing to get the facts before speaking out is the ultimate in foolishness. And yet political opponents engage in such statements constantly. “The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.” There’s another popular saying, “First liar never has a chance.” Rushing to be heard first might seem wise; however, by speaking first, you allow your opponent to learn the arguments you plan to use so that he can create a compelling defense. Most of us are our own worst enemies.
“From the fruit of his mouth a man’s belly is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Spread vicious rumors about others and they will reciprocate. The spiteful things you say today might lead to disaster for you tomorrow.
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; it is like a high wall in his imagination.” This chapter has a lot more to it than merely warning of foolishness with words. Many of us believe that if we have enough money, it will protect us. But those who trusted in Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi schemes can testify that money can evaporate overnight. That’s why the proverb mentions that wealth only reassures a rich man “in his imagination.” God is our only safe refuge.
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.” In Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, the boy’s drinking companions disappeared along with his money. In that story, it was the father with his great heart of love who took the boy back and celebrated his return. No matter how close our human friends are, God is the only One who can stay closer than any of our siblings. Jesus told that story to illustrate the fact that if we will repent of our sins, God the Father will always receive us. But none of us knows how much time we have left on earth, so today is the day we should turn to God.
APPLICATION: Foolish talk or faithfulness-this is the main theme of today’s chapter of Proverbs. Watch your words because they can help or hurt you. No matter how faithful human friends might be, they can fail us. Human friends can believe wrong rumors about us or become sick and incapacitated or even die.
In the end, it is only the wisdom that comes from God that will stand the test of time. Only God can really be a strong tower of protection for us. Forget the number of followers you have on Facebook or other social media. When you need deliverance, those people won’t be available. Only God can save you.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, teach us to number our days that we might get hearts of wisdom. Help us to trust You for strength, for guidance, and for protection. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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